MOONLIGHT - THE PHILIP LYNOTT ENIGMA Will Make London Premiere and Embark on UK Tour

Moonlight, with book and music by John Merrigan and Danielle Merrigan, directed by Jason Figgis is a new rock musical that tells the story of international rock star, Thin Lizzy frontman Philip Lynott.

It will get its UK premiere in London at Eventim Apollo Hammersith  on Sunday 29 March then tour the UK to Glasgow Pavillion (20th May), Newcastle Opera House (21st May) Dartford Orchard Theatre (22nd May), Birmingham Alexandra Theatre (23rd May) before returning to Dublin Vicar St (11th & 12th June).

Returning to the Hammersmith venue where Thin Lizzy's  iconic “Live & Dangerous” album was recorded 50 years ago in 1976, it's time to go beyond the headlines...

Moonlight tells a deeper story of an Irish music icon - exploring Philip Lynott's formative years, his struggles, his legacy and inspiration to musicians around the world, honouring him in the pantheon of great Irish poets.  It's a truly authentic portrayal of one of the most authentic rockers of all time.

Actor and singer Peter M. Smith stars as Philip Lynott, with Padraic O'Loingsigh as Brendan Behan, Riley Clark as Oscar Wilde, with original founding member, Thin Lizzy guitarist Eric Bell making a special guest appearance.

Peter M. Smith says: “When offered the chance to play Philip Lynott, I was truly honoured as a proud Dubliner, and as a Thin Lizzy fanatic. Too much has been written about the rockstar lifestyle - it is a tired subject. This production seeks to honour Philip Lynott for what he was - a literary great and consummate artist.”  

Philip Parris Lynott (pronounced “lie-not” - get it right!) was born in Birmingham in August 1949 to Philomena Lynott and Cecil Parris from Guyana. After a turbulent early childhood, he was sent to live with his grandparents in Crumlin, a working-class Dublin suburb. From then on, he made Ireland his spiritual home and source of musical inspiration.

As he said himself, being a “black Irish bastard” did not exactly set him up for success in life but he rose to become the first major international rock star that Ireland produced as frontman for Thin Lizzy, one of the biggest rock bands on the planet in the late 1970s along with co-founders Eric Bell and Brian Downey.

Thin Lizzy singles “Whiskey in the Jar” (1972), “The Boys Are Back in Town” (1976) and “Waiting for an Alibi” (1979) were international hits, and several Thin Lizzy albums reached the top 10 in the UK. The band's music reflects a wide range of influences including blues, soul music, psychedelic rock, and traditional Irish folk music, but is generally classified as hard rock or sometimes heavy metal. Lynott led the group throughout their 14-year recording career of 12 studio albums, writing or co-writing almost all the band's material.

Lynott performed with major artists around the world, and his incredibly diverse repertoire of songs remains hugely popular and influential to this day. On the 4th of January 1986, Philip Lynott was dead, gone far too soon, aged just 36.

The story of Lynott's dealings with fame and fortune is a familiar road travelled by many before and after him. What is less known, is the narrative of his formative years, the dreamer, the fighter and the visionary. Before fame, Lynott was a poet and a sensitive man who spent years learning his craft, working harder than anyone around him. He was a complex character, always restless, looking for the next new thrill. 

Moonlight is a deeper portrait of Lynott that explores the key events that shaped and drove him, and his relationships with those around him. The drama explores themes of isolation, creative genius, flawed character, struggles with fame, and being awake and inspired when everyone else was asleep.

Writers John Merrigan & Danielle Merrigan said, “Though Moonlight is a standalone stage production, it is the third in a trilogy of our works about great literary artists who emerged from Dublin onto the world stage.  The other two are: Vengeance (2021) about the demise of Oscar Wilde and Brendan - Son of Dublin (2023) about the life and times of Brendan Behan.  

“Wilde died when he was 46 in Paris, Behan aged 41 in Dublin, and Lynott when he was just 36 years old in England. All were flawed characters which makes them both interesting and at times problematic.  The varied themes that flow through their lives are highly interconnected and at times eerily similar.  They were ambitious outsiders who struggled with their art, their fame, their complex relationship with Dublin, and all fought ‘convention' in their own way. They were true poets who held a mirror up to us all, asking important and sometimes uncomfortable questions, often at great cost to themselves and those close to them.

“As writers and composers, we explore these themes through words and music to gain insight and understanding. The works are musical dramas or perhaps better described as plays with music. Sometimes the songs move the plot forward, at other times they deliberately stop the action to allow us to reflect. The style of music changes with the context of each work.